Health Insurance Industry Once Again Hoping Investment Pays Off
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The following is being released by Common Cause and Public Campaign:
U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is offering an amendment to the health care reform bill that would repeal the health insurance industry’s legal exemptions for violations such as price fixing, bid rigging and market allocation. The insurance industry fiercely opposes the repeal, which would subject health insurance companies to the same federal antitrust laws that already apply to most other businesses.
According to data from the Center for Responsive Politics, health insurance companies have donated $17.5 million – an average of $176,574 per U.S. senator – since 1989 to current members of the Senate, who will likely vote on the amendment in the coming days.
Senator Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), who has received $536,846 from health insurance companies, has reportedly moved to block the amendment from inclusion in the Senate bill. He is one of 30 Senators who have received at least $200,000 from this industry since 1989.
The vote for continued legal immunity for health insurance companies will test the free market principles espoused by many Senators, as the existing antitrust exemptions for health insurance and medical malpractice insurance companies amounts to an unfair advantage for these companies. The free market principle assumes companies operate under the same rules.
“This is yet another example in the health care reform debate where the health insurance industry is hoping its $17.5 million investment in the U.S. Senate pays off,” said Bob Edgar, president of Common Cause. “If we want policies that are truly in the public’s interest – like this proposal to repeal legal protections for the health insurance industry – we need to take the special interests out of the business of funding political campaigns.”
“The debate over this amendment and the influence of the health insurance industry shows that we need to dramatically alter the way campaigns are financed in this country,” said Nick Nyhart, president and CEO of Public Campaign. “It’s time to pass the Fair Elections Now Act.”
Health Insurance Contributions to Members of the 111th
Congress, 1989-2009
------------------------------------------------------
Senator State Total
------- ----- -----
Dodd, Chris* CT $774,491
------------ --- --------
McCain, John AZ $736,884
------------ --- --------
Kerry, John MA $687,434
----------- --- --------
Baucus, Max MT $675,349
----------- --- --------
Nelson, Ben NE $536,846
----------- --- --------
McConnell, Mitch KY $523,877
---------------- --- --------
Grassley, Chuck IA $493,149
--------------- --- --------
Ensign, John NV $487,815
------------ --- --------
Bayh, Evan IN $471,338
---------- --- --------
Lieberman, Joe CT $448,066
-------------- --- --------
Hatch, Orrin G UT $393,380
-------------- --- --------
Reid, Harry NV $388,350
----------- --- --------
Specter, Arlen* PA $382,228
--------------- --- --------
Kyl, Jon AZ $360,968
-------- --- --------
Conrad, Kent ND $340,580
------------ --- --------
Shelby, Richard C AL $331,450
----------------- --- --------
Chambliss, Saxby GA $322,023
---------------- --- --------
Schumer, Charles E NY $316,200
------------------ --- --------
Collins, Susan M ME $305,330
---------------- --- --------
Burr, Richard NC $280,586
------------- --- --------
Bunning, Jim KY $254,437
------------ --- --------
Gregg, Judd NH $247,175
----------- --- --------
Enzi, Mike WY $243,250
---------- --- --------
Carper, Tom DE $239,680
----------- --- --------
Lincoln, Blanche AR $231,050
---------------- --- --------
Cardin, Ben MD $216,264
----------- --- --------
Isakson, Johnny GA $208,900
--------------- --- --------
Menendez, Robert NJ $206,725
---------------- --- --------
Crapo, Mike ID $206,450
----------- --- --------
Stabenow, Debbie MI $200,050
---------------- --- --------
Sessions, Jeff AL $196,537
-------------- --- --------
Alexander, Lamar TN $195,150
---------------- --- --------
Bennett, Robert F UT $192,505
----------------- --- --------
Feinstein, Dianne CA $183,660
----------------- --- --------
Johnson, Tim SD $175,950
------------ --- --------
Reed, Jack RI $170,400
---------- --- --------
Harkin, Tom IA $168,556
----------- --- --------
Durbin, Dick* IL $164,300
------------- --- --------
Landrieu, Mary L LA $162,158
---------------- --- --------
Dorgan, Byron L ND $161,350
--------------- --- --------
Wyden, Ron OR $158,250
---------- --- --------
Warner, Mark VA $154,500
------------ --- --------
Levin, Carl MI $153,156
----------- --- --------
Lugar, Richard G IN $152,663
---------------- --- --------
Rockefeller, Jay WV $147,824
---------------- --- --------
Graham, Lindsey SC $146,773
--------------- --- --------
Thune, John SD $144,216
----------- --- --------
Voinovich, George V OH $143,340
------------------- --- --------
Nelson, Bill FL $140,462
------------ --- --------
Inhofe, James M OK $140,204
--------------- --- --------
Bond, Christopher "Kit" MO $140,150
----------------------- --- --------
Snowe, Olympia J ME $134,486
---------------- --- --------
Hutchison, Kay Bailey TX $132,700
--------------------- --- --------
DeMint, James W SC $131,710
--------------- --- --------
Cornyn, John TX $128,675
------------ --- --------
Roberts, Pat KS $126,600
------------ --- --------
Murray, Patty WA $126,450
------------- --- --------
Udall, Mark CO $108,650
----------- --- --------
Corker, Bob TN $108,125
----------- --- --------
Boxer, Barbara* CA $107,570
--------------- --- --------
Mikulski, Barbara A MD $86,950
------------------- --- -------
Murkowski, Lisa AK $86,450
--------------- --- -------
Klobuchar, Amy MN $84,700
-------------- --- -------
Lautenberg, Frank R NJ $81,800
------------------- --- -------
Brown, Sherrod OH $75,100
-------------- --- -------
Bingaman, Jeff NM $72,207
-------------- --- -------
Brownback, Sam KS $69,800
-------------- --- -------
Feingold, Russ WI $69,159
-------------- --- -------
Wicker, Roger MS $67,600
------------- --- -------
Cochran, Thad MS $67,000
------------- --- -------
Pryor, Mark AR $67,000
----------- --- -------
Casey, Bob PA $61,537
---------- --- -------
Barrasso, John A WY $46,750
---------------- --- -------
Johanns, Michael O NE $43,300
------------------ --- -------
Coburn, Tom OK $40,458
----------- --- -------
Franken, Al MN $36,750
----------- --- -------
Cantwell, Maria WA $34,925
--------------- --- -------
McCaskill, Claire MO $34,800
----------------- --- -------
Udall, Tom NM $32,600
---------- --- -------
Gillibrand, Kirsten* NY $31,900
-------------------- --- -------
Vitter, David LA $31,108
------------- --- -------
Hagan, Kay R NC $28,600
------------ --- -------
Leahy, Patrick VT $27,300
-------------- --- -------
Inouye, Daniel K HI $27,200
---------------- --- -------
Shaheen, Jeanne NH $22,700
--------------- --- -------
Tester, Jon MT $22,150
----------- --- -------
Risch, James E ID $21,250
-------------- --- -------
Whitehouse, Sheldon RI $20,350
------------------- --- -------
Begich, Mark AK $16,800
------------ --- -------
Byrd, Robert C WV $15,625
-------------- --- -------
Akaka, Daniel K HI $14,030
--------------- --- -------
Merkley, Jeff OR $11,750
------------- --- -------
Webb, James VA $10,750
----------- --- -------
Bennet, Michael F CO $7,000
----------------- --- ------
Sanders, Bernie VT $6,050
--------------- --- ------
Burris, Roland IL $0
-------------- --- ---
Kohl, Herb WI $0
---------- --- ---
Total $17,480,844
----- -----------
Source: Center for Responsive Politics
(www.opensecrets.org)
--------------------------------------
Note: The health insurance totals include HMOs and health
services and health and accident insurers.
---------------------------------------------------------
* Indicates that the Senator is a cosponsor of the Fair
Elections Now Act, S. 752.
-------------------------------------------------------
SOURCE Common Cause and Public Campaign